Zodia Custody Appoints New Australian MD, Strengthening Leadership Across The Region

Sydney, 16th June – Zodia Custody, a leading institution-first digital assets platform backed by Standard Chartered, in association with National Australia Bank Ventures, Northern Trust, SBI Holdings, and Emirates NBD, has appointed Ryan Hodges as Managing Director for Australia. The appointment underscores Zodia Custody’s commitment to the region, strengthening its presence to continue empowering institutional clients to embrace the regulated digital assets future.

Ryan brings with him over two decades of experience in traditional finance across Australian and global institutions, having held senior positions at Westpac Institutional Bank and, more recently, the Commonwealth Bank. During his tenure, he established and oversaw successful operations in the market, highlighting his expertise within the Australian institutional landscape. Having held a professional membership with the Digital Economy Council of Australia (Formerly known as Blockchain Australia) since 2021, Ryan has focused on building knowledge, fostering collaboration, and supporting ongoing conversations across Australia’s digital economy — an area he believes is critical to the future of both the Australian and global financial landscapes.

Given the evolving regulatory landscape in Australia, Ryan’s regulatory and business expertise will elevate Zodia Custody’s regulated institutional digital asset custody offerings across the region.

Julian Sawyer, CEO at Zodia Custody, says: “ Following the Australian election and the Labour win, there is a renewed focus on the digital asset industry, with regulators and markets already responding. Our Australian Financial Services License application ensures we are leading the market transformation and strengthening our Australian presence to elevate services for our institutional clients. Zodia Custody continues to invest in the Australian market, and the appointment of Ryan further enhances our position in the market. ”

Commenting on his appointment, Ryan Hodges, MD, Australia, at Zodia Custody says: “Zodia Custody operates at the pinnacle of regulated institutional digital asset custody. I’m thrilled to be joining the leadership team here in Australia to help make Zodia Custody’s vision for the region a reality.  I’m confident that my experience across the industry will help me empower Australian financial institutions to embrace the regulated digital assets future.”

Julian Sawyer and Ryan Hodges will be present at the Australian Digital Economy Conference on 16th June. They will discuss where digital assets and crypto sit within the Australian market and how, following the election, growing strategies from the Australian government are pushing regulators to begin engaging more with the asset class.